By MARK LISHERON | March 1, 2022 

Wisconsin voters could make 2023 a watershed year for oversight of currently unchecked spending of billions of dollars of federal funding flowing into the state.

The State Assembly last week passed a measure that would eventually give Wisconsin voters an opportunity to amend the state Constitution and give the Legislature authority over some federal spending. The Senate is expected sometime next week to vote on the same resolution – which cannot be vetoed by Gov. Evers – and if it is again passed by both houses in the next session, it could be placed on a statewide ballot in 2023.

The Joint Legislative Audit Committee, in the meantime, has also directed the Legislative Audit Bureau to begin an audit of federal pandemic emergency spending.

That directive on Feb. 2 came just weeks after the Badger Institute publicly voiced its support for more legislative oversight of the spending and for a statewide audit similar to one launched by Connecticut after an FBI investigation uncovered fraud by city employees.

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